Really neat article about Dr. Stanley Biber, a surgeon in a small town in Colorado who has performed more sex reassignment surgeries than any other surgeon. Article is well worth reading in its entirety, but here are some interesting excerpts:

He's transformed the genders of judges, actors, priests, models, mayors, cops, teachers and even a professional football player. "He was a linebacker, and he weighed 245 pounds. He was a biiiig woman when I got through."

He has spent the past 35 years fine-tuning his skills on people he calls "my transsexuals."

"We turn out a real good product," he said. "I have one former patient, a man who became a woman and is now married to a gynecologist. Her husband doesn't know."

[....]

A few other cases stand out as well.

There were the three brothers from Georgia whom Biber turned into the three sisters from Georgia. There was the 84-year-old railroad worker from California who'd spent much of his life wanting to be a woman. "His wife was dying of cancer, and he felt responsible for her. He waited 25 years until she died, and then he came in for the surgery."

A medicine man from a Pueblo Indian tribe in New Mexico wanted to be a medicine woman.

"The whole tribe got together and did the incantation before her surgery," Biber said. "They came with drums and feathers and played in the hallway as we were taking her to surgery. It was great."

Limbaugh talked about the politics of the case, but focused his remarks on the personal aspect.

"I can't help feeling empathy and actual sympathy for him," said Limbaugh. "It's not an easy way to have lived.

"A lot of people will try to use him now for their own gains, but in the middle is Jim McGreevey, who has to try to find happiness - and it won't be easy. He's a messed-up guy, obviously."

Limbaugh recently underwent a long round of therapy for pain-killer addiction and when he returned he talked on the radio about facing up to his real self for the first time. It was very difficult, he said, but also liberating.

"It's a blessing for Jim McGreevey that this happened," said Limbaugh. "He hasn't gone all the way yet, but he's taken the first step, and I want to be the first to wish him all the best.

"This would not have been my take on this a year ago. I'm glad it's my take today."

Hmm. Hmm. If I were charitable, I would say maybe he really learned something in rehab, got a little humility via The Program. But I don't know....I can't help but think that this fake tabloid headline (thanks to Bartcop) may be closer to the truth...

More on McGreevey: Arianna Huffington knows of whence she speaks. I may or may not write up some of my thoughts on this (too many easy to decode secrets in a small place), but regardless, I must say that her take on it totally matches what I and others observed of a local former minor official--exact same self-destructiveness.posted by Dub at 3:59 AM